[Tutor] Self-intro and two short newbie questions

[Wayne Werner]

On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 6:42 AM, Kevin Kirton <kpkirton at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I've committed myself to learning Python and have started reading
> "Learning Python" (Mark Lutz) and looking through various online
> resources.
> My career so far has involved a little high school teaching and about
> 10 years of translating Japanese to English, but no programming or
> coding.
>

Welcome to python! I've never read that book, but I hear it's pretty good.


>
> I've also joined this list today and this is my first post.
>
> My aim is to be able to create Python programs, specifically
> "activities" that work on the OLPC's XO laptops and SoaS (Sugar on a
> Stick).
>

I don't know anything about the SoaS, but I do know a teeny bit about OLPC's
XO laptops. Python is a great tool for several reasons - among them the
availability of source code allows experimentation by XO users, which is in
line with the XO philosophy.


>
> My questions are: how long would you estimate it to take and how
> complicated would it be to create the following as Python programs? (I
> know it varies depending on the person, but for example, how long
> would it take _you_?)
>
> (i) a simple guitar tuning program involving an image of a guitar and
> the playing of each of the standard strings of a guitar (E, A, D, G,
> B, E) upon key input by the user
> (something similar to this:
> http://www.gieson.com/Library/projects/utilities/tuner/ (page is 782kb
> to open))
> and
>

I could probably make something similar to that in less than a few hours,
and most of it would be learning how to output the sound. If I had that
knowledge I could make a VERY basic one in ~30 minutes, and make one that's
rather nice within an hour or two.


> (ii) a very basic turtle art program with an intentionally limited set
> of commands and on-screen display words (say, a total of 30 to 50
> specific strings), wherein the entire set of strings is offered to the
> user (perhaps at first use of the program) in a format that enables
> easy and full localization of the program so long as each of the
> strings is translated appropriately and inputted to the program. I
> know of turtle.py and xturtle.py, but I'm thinking of starting
> something from scratch. It's the easy localization I'm interested in.
>

That would probably take a little longer if only the more complicated
design. That sounds like a project that I would probably work on over the
course of a few days - some research, some design, some coding.

Both of these projects are very possible for the beginner/novice with a
little education (I'd start on the guitar tuner first as its level of
complexity is much lower).

HTH,
Wayne
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